Football-shoe



G. L. PIERCE. FOOTBALL SHOE.

APPLICATION man APR. l4.- I920.

Patented May 3, 1921.

u 0 .I- n C u n 0 George L Bz'e nee,

' 3& n "Ag/66 act UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING & BROS, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FOOTBALL-SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application filed April 14, 1920. Serial No. 373,817.

T 0 all '10 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Football-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a foot ball shoe having a reinforced or box toe of strong and simple constructlon and the invention consists of the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the front portion of a shoe embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the box toe;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the toe portion of the shoe embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the box toe;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View through the shoe; and

Fig. 6 shows a modification.

In these drawings 1 indicates a portion of a shoe upper of substantially ordinary orm;

2 indicates a portion of the outer sole and 3 a portion of the inner sole.

The box toe member is shown at 4;. This consists of a top portion 4 a front 4 and sides 4. This box toe is formed of thick leather and its open rear end of arched formation receives within it the front portion of the upper as indicated in Fig. 3, and the inner sole is turned up at 3 so as to extend the full height of the interior of the box toe and at its upper end this extension of the inner sole receives between it and the under side of the top of the box toe the front edge of the upper as indicated in Fig. 3. The upper edge of the upturned portion of the inner sole is thin at 3" so as to make a smooth joint with the adjacent parts and thus provide comfort for the wearer. The box toe is sewed to the outer sole by stitching at 5 and a'portion of the upper, namely the tip or reinforcing piece 6 is united to the rear edge of the box toe by stitching at 7, passing through an upturned edge 8, at this point said upturned edge being formed on the tip or reinforcing piece 6. It will be noticed that a smooth interior is provided for the comfort of the wearer and the box toe at its front wall 4 is backed by the upturned portion 3 of the inner sole and thus the box toe is stiffened and a strong construction is provided at this point.

Furthermore it will be observed that the box toe member presents a smooth, unbroken exterior surface throughout its front wall, its top and its side walls, all of these parts being formed in one continuous piece. It will also be noticed that the frontwall of the box toe is flush with the front edge of the outer sole, the inner sole being turned up at the point in rear of the front edge of the outer sole so that the front wall of the box toe while bearing against the upturned end of the inner sole will occupy the space above the forwardly projecting front end of the outer sole.

The box toe member is secured by nails, rivets or other means to the upturned end of the inner sole, nails being shown in the present instance at 9.

The construction is such that the foot will be well protected in hard kicking and a strong kick can be delivered.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which the inner sole 3 and its upward extension 3 are formed of separate pieces. These may be stitched or otherwise secured together or they may be simply interlocked by beveling their edges as at 3". This extension like the integral extension of Fig. 3 will provide a smooth interior for contact with the foot and it, like in the form first described, will form a backing for the front of the box toe, aiding in sustaining the force of the blows and in absorbing the shock and shielding the foot of the wearer.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, in a shoe, an upper, an inner sole having an upward extension at its front end, and a separate box toe member having a front wall, a top wall and side walls fitting over the toe of the shoe and inclosing the said upward extension at its front, top and sides, substantially as described.

2. In combination, in a shoe, an upper, an inner sole having an upward extension at its front end, and a separate box toe memher having a front wall, a top wall and side walls fitting over the toe of the shoe and inclosing the said upward extension at its front, top and sides, said outer sole extending at the front beyondthe point where the upward extension joins the inner sole, the said box toe being stitchedto the said extending portion of the outer sole.

3. In combination in a shoe an upper portion, an outer sole, an inner sole having an upward extension at its forward end, a box toe having a front wall fitting against the upward extension of the inner sole and having I also a, top wall and side walls formed all in one piece, the front portion of the upper being received within the box toe, said box toe being stitched at its rear edge to a portion of the upper and at its lower edge to the outer sole, substantially as described.

4;. A shoe comprising an upper, an outer sole, an inner sole having an upward ex tensionat its front end, and-a box toe member secured to the said extension of the inner sole, substantially as described.

5. A foot ball shoe comprising an upper, an outer sole, an inner sole havingian integral extension turned up at its front end, and a box toe member secured to said extension of the inner sole, substantially as de-' scribed.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa'- ture.

GEORGE L. PIERCE.- 

